November 26 Thursday – Thanksgiving – In London Sam wrote in his notebook:

We did not celebrate it. Seven years ago Susy gave her play for the first time [MTB 1027].

He also wrote to Emilie R. Rogers (Mrs. H.H. Rogers)  “For & in behalf of Helen Kellar…” (Sam was consistent in misspelling Helen Keller’s name.)

Experience has convinced me that when one wishes to set a hard-worked man at something which he mightn’t prefer to be bothered with, it is best to move upon him behind his wife. If she can’t convince him it isn’t worth while for other people to try. …

      It won’t do for America to allow this marvelous child to retire from her studies because of poverty. If she can go on with them she will make a fame that will endure in history for centuries. Along her special lines she is the most extraordinary product of all the ages. …

      So I thought of this scheme: Beg you to lay siege to your husband & get him to interest himself and Messrs. John D. & William Rockefeller & the other Standard Oil chiefs in Helen’s case; get them to subscribe an annual aggregate of six or seven hundred or a thousand dollars — & agree to continue this three or four years, until she has completed her college course.

Sam then disclosed Eleanor Hutton’s plan to raise a permanent (and much larger fund) for Keller and her teacher, Miss Anne Sullivan, to live off the interest. He wouldn’t argue against such a plan but thought it would be a “difficult & disheartening job” to raise that much. Sam asked Emilie to “plead with Mr. Rogers for this hampered wonder of your sex, & send him with plenary powers to plead with the other chiefs.” He added after his signature that Laurence Hutton was “close by and handy” to her, on the staff of Harper’s Monthly [MTHHR 253-4].

Sam then wrote to Eleanor V. Hutton (Mrs. Laurence Hutton). He explained why he could not go out and solicit funds for Helen Keller — that they were still in hiding and saw no one, keeping his address unknown so that he might work on his “long book” (FE). He told her of writing Mrs. H.H. Rogers and asking her to employ her husband to “lay the case” before the other Standard Oil magnates for a temporary annual fund for Keller.

This is still a house of mourning, & will remain so, wholly unmodified, until Susy’s father & mother fall heir to the best thing in the treasury of life, which is death [MTP].

Sam’s notebook for this day:

We have now been in this house 2  months, but nothing can persuade this fool postoffice to send Mr. Garth’s letters to his new address any oftener than 4 days in the week — the other three they come here [NB 39 TS 27].